(links to YouTube podcast episodes below)

SEASON 1

Vol. 01, No. 01 - The New Madrid Earthquakes, with Dr. Jonathan Hancock

From December, 1811 until March, 1812, a series of three major earthquakes along the far western border of Kentucky shook the North American interior. The earthquakes were felt from as far away as South Carolina. Join us for a discussion with a KHS Research Fellow who is writing a book on the infamous earthquakes.

Vol. 01, No. 02 – More Than a Congressman’s Mistress, with Dr. Elizabeth DeWolfe

Throughout the history of the United States, several court cases have gripped the attention of the entire nation. In 1894, one such case occurred when Madeleine Pollard, a young woman from Frankfort, Kentucky, sued Kentucky Congressman William C.P. Breckinridge for breach of promise. Join us today for a discussion with a KHS research fellow who has written an article about Madeleine Pollard and who argues that we should see her as far more than simply “a Congressman’s Mistress."

"More Than a Congressman’s Mistress: Ambition and Scandal in the Life of Madeleine Pollard.” Register of the Kentucky Historical Society 115, no. 3 (Summer 2017): 313-348. Read on Project Muse.

Vol. 01, No. 03 – Aged Well in Kentucky, with Dr. Simon Buck.

In the United States, several stereotypes dominate the popular imagination regarding Kentucky: horses, bourbon, fried chicken, and bluegrass. But what is the perception of Kentucky from outside of the United States? Join us for a discussion with Simon Buck, a researcher at the University of Edinburgh, as we discuss aging, music, and how a person who grew up in the United Kingdom became interested in studying Kentucky. 

Vol. 01, No. 04 – Politics in Civil War Kentucky, with Dr. J. Matthew Gallman

“‘What is the case of ‘Willie Waller’ at Maysville, Kentucky?’: The Strange Tale of a Kentucky Rebel,” Register of the Kentucky Historical Society 117, no. 1 (Winter 2019): 1-37. Read on Project Muse.

Read Dr. Gallman's book, available through University of Virginia Press.

Vol. 01, No. 05 – Our Own History, with Dr. Derek Kane O’Leary

The Kentucky Historical Society was founded in 1836, but did you know that it soon lapsed? Join us today for a discussion with a KHS research fellow who has written an article examining the origins of the Kentucky Historical Society and who explains why it struggled to survive as an institution in the nineteenth century.

“‘The Historical Society has removed to Massachusetts’: Edward Jarvis and the First Kentucky Historical Society,” Register of the Kentucky Historical Society 121, no. 1 (Winter 2023): 5-50. Read on Project Muse. 

Vol. 01, No. 06 – The Eugenics Debate, with Dr. Pietra Diwan

The issues of birth control and reproductive rights are familiar today to most Americans, but did you know that over a century ago these issues were being debated? Join us today for a discussion with a KHS research fellow who is examining the legacy of eugenics and who helps explain why these debates from over a century ago have a continuing relevance today.

Vol. 01, No. 07 – Owensboro’s Black Chautauqua, with Dr. Cynthia Patterson

On August 12, 2022, noted author Salman Rushdie was stabbed multiple times as he was about to deliver a talk at the Chautauqua Institute, in Chautauqua, New York. Popular in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Chautauquas have declined in popularity over the years, although they are still held throughout the United States. Join us today for a discussion with a KHS research fellow who has written an article about a Black Chautauqua that was held in Owensboro, Kentucky, as we delve into the local history of Chautauquas.

Vol. 01, No. 08 – Evolution and Kentucky Before Scopes, with Emily Muhich

In 1925, Americans focused their attention on the Scopes Trial, a court case in Tennessee where a teacher was put on trial for teaching evolution. Yet three years before the infamous trial, the state of Kentucky nearly passed a law that would have forbidden the teaching of evolution. Join us today for a discussion with a KHS research fellow who is writing a dissertation about the evolution debates that roiled Kentucky in 1922. 

Vol. 01, No. 09 – A Cold Case in Caldwell County, with Dr. Kevin McPartland

Being a part of a close-knit neighborhood is something that many people aspire to. Barbecues, football games, and community events can help neighbors feel a sense of connectedness and community. But neighborhoods can also be places of separation and division, with boundaries drawn between families and neighbors. Join us today for a discussion with a former graduate research associate who has written an article about one Kentucky community that was torn apart by violence shortly before the Civil War.

"He Has Ever Been Considered, a Good and True Hearted Citizen": Neighborhood and Community in the Wadlington Case, by Kevin McPartland. Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, Volume 120, Number 3&4, Summer/Autumn 2022, pp. 319-341 Read on Project Muse.

Vol. 01, No. 09 - ADDENDUM: Chuck and the Civil War Governors of Kentucky, with Dr. Chuck Welsko

In Episode 9, we interviewed Dr. Kevin McPartland who shares his research about a Kentucky community that was torn apart by violence before the Civil War. He also worked as a Graduate Associate at the Civil War Governors of Kentucky project which is managed by the Kentucky Historical Society. In his interview, Kevin talks a lot about his work, and he also talks a lot about the manager of the project, Dr. Charles Welsko. But, after we recorded the interview, we realized that you, our listeners, might want to know more about CWGK (as we call it) from Dr. Welsko himself.

Learn more about the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Documentary Edition.

Vol. 01, No. 10 - Adrien Lievin (May – Spring) 

Vol. 01, No. 11 - Holly Karibo (June – Spring)

Season 2

Vol. 02, No. 01 – Mia Edwards (July – Summer) 

Vol. 02, No. 02 - Christian Krueger (August – Summer) 

Vol. 02, No. 03 – Sara Egge (September – Summer) 

Vol. 02, No. 04 – William Sack (October – Fall) 

Vol. 02, No. 05 – Eladio Bobadilla (November – Fall) 

Vol. 02, No. 06 - Michael Cohen (December – Fall) 

Vol. 02, No. 07 - Chris Phillips (January – Winter)